StrategyFrame®AI - Case Study: Caritas Krefeld

“Actually,” Dana Glöß explains, “the leadership team—her fellow board member Delk Bagusat and herself—had had enough of strategy consultants.” “Step aside, we’ll handle this for you—that’s exactly the attitude we didn’t want.” There was no question in her and Delk Bagusat’s minds that Caritas for Krefeld and Meerbusch needed a clear, overarching strategy to position itself optimally for the future. Empty public coffers coupled with ever-growing social challenges: The people in both cities need the services provided by independent social welfare organizations. For families, children, and young people; for the sick, the elderly, those struggling with addiction, immigrants, and everyone facing difficult life situations. Here, strategy means striking a wise balance between economic necessities and compassion, so that we still have enough strength tomorrow to support others. “We wanted to develop a guiding principle that we can use to orient ourselves in all strategic decisions,” says Glöß. “Gladly with measured external expertise, but coming from within the organization itself, with a team that shapes the processes itself.”

Business jargon can be rather confusing

In just under a year and a half, “Charity 3.0” took shape—Caritas’ roadmap for the future in Krefeld and Meerbusch. At the beginning of 2024, it was by no means certain that StrategyFrame would be the tool to help pave the way. “At first, there were doubts as to whether a toolkit geared toward the free market was even suitable for nonprofit organizations like ours,” says the board member. Especially since the tool’s business jargon—terms like foresights, OKRs, and project portfolios—sounds rather jarring to teams focused on social impact. And it was clear from the outset that the welfare organization would, in case of doubt, prioritize its statutory purpose—the “commitment to help”—over “maximum efficiency at any cost.” However, the initial reservations soon gave way to the conviction that they had chosen the right approach. “The good thing about StrategyFrame is that it provides a framework and clear guidelines. But it deliberately leaves plenty of room for individual adjustments. That way, you stay in the driver’s seat without straying from the actual path,” says Delk Bagusat.

What no one else offers

The two of them still vividly remember the first of a total of three workshops on working with the StrategyFrame. The ten managers from the top two levels of the hierarchy first met for this purpose at a children’s and youth center, right next to the foosball table and ping-pong table. Situation analysis, vision, areas of action—everything was put on the table. The debate was particularly intense regarding the three pillars that make up Caritas’ portfolio for Krefeld and Meerbusch. With offerings such as secondhand stores, it operates as a social enterprise that contributes disproportionately to the overall results. Standard care, for example in the form of (semi-)inpatient and outpatient care, outpatient rehabilitation for addiction, assisted living, or the daycare center, represents the main pillar of financial stability despite low profit margins. Pillar three, on the other hand, encompasses funding and grant-based services, such as drug assistance and community work: “We’ve become very aware during our discussions: Some of our services aren’t profitable. But no one else offers them—and that’s why an organization dedicated to charity can’t simply give them up. We just have to earn the money for them in other areas,” says Dana Glöß

“Dignity is our touchstone”

The core team met several times to work out the details together. Later, managers from other levels joined in, until, step by step, the entire strategy took shape. A key moment for Glöß and Bagusat: “The moment Christian asked us what impact we actually wanted to make. That really got us thinking.” Answering that question required a thorough examination of the history and core values of their own institution. With the positive side effect that the leadership team developed a shared understanding and a great deal of trust in one another. “We bring people together. We enable a life of dignity. We open up new perspectives”—this is the impact promise that emerged in the end. “The concept of dignity is particularly central to us; it embodies our Christian self-understanding,” explains Bagusat. “Do we enable a life of dignity through our offerings? That is the litmus test we use to evaluate our portfolio.” Once goals and OKRs were also jointly formulated and the StrategyFrame was filled out, the next step in the strategy process followed: translating the strategy into the “Big Picture”—the motivating visualization that addresses everyone in the organization.

From Novel to Short Film

“At that point, it was essentially a matter of turning a beautiful novel into a beautiful short film,” recalls Dana Glöß. What was still missing at that stage were vivid images to illustrate the visions for the future. How will employees know that Caritas for Krefeld and Meerbusch has achieved its goals? How, for example, would a resident of a facility recognize this? How will it become tangible for the urban community? “We tackled these questions as a large leadership team of 100 colleagues. It was a strenuous but productive day. For example, we turned scenes into short plays.” The goal: to make it clear to employees that the strategy isn’t just a paper tiger, but a vision of the future to which everyone can contribute. Instead of the traditional top-down approach, where managers individually convey new messages to their teams, Glöß and Bagusat opted for a grand spectacle after coordinating the overall strategy with the supervisory boards: a “Love for One’s Neighbor 3.0” event complete with a red carpet, banners, and a supporting program, to which all 1,500 employees and 300 volunteers were invited.

“We deliberately chose language that is easy to understand in everyday life”

First, the executive board spoke, and then second- and third-level managers explained the vision for the future to their teams. “It worked wonderfully because the managers presented what they had developed themselves beforehand—and we made a very conscious effort to use clear, everyday language,” said Glöß. A major highlight of the event: an emotional video about Caritas’s self-image for Krefeld and Meerbusch, supplemented with outtakes from the production that show the Executive Board in a likable light, in imperfect and approachable moments. In addition, fold-out cards and “Charity 3.0” refrigerator magnets to take home ensured that the strategy remained top of mind beyond the event. What particularly impressed Glöß and Bagusat: the total of 180 questions on the topic that participants addressed to the board via app during and after the event. “This really shows that employees are genuinely engaging with the topics—and that the barrier to initiating conversations across hierarchical levels has lowered,” says Bagusat. All questions have since been answered and are now transparently available for everyone to view on the intranet.

Gamification and team contributions

What are the next steps for “Charity 3.0”? The engagement campaign across Caritas Krefeld and Meerbusch is continuing. The organization is using digitalization and gamification approaches to get employees excited about the practical relevance of the strategy and to gather further feedback. A second wave is planned for the summer of 2026. At that time, each team will focus on identifying areas where they can take action to advance toward the vision of the future. The OKRs, which make all progress measurable, will soon be firmly established at the third management level as well.

Above all, Caritas is putting into practice in Krefeld and Meerbusch what it set out to achieve with “Charity 3.0.” For example, in February 2026, it opened the first non-hospital-based intensive care shared living facility in Krefeld, thereby filling a gap in standard care. Plans include a dedicated practice offering occupational, occupational, and physical therapy; an early intervention center for children; potentially an outpatient substitution clinic in collaboration with partners; and assisted living for people with dementia. According to Glöß, there is significant potential, particularly in these specialized housing options for seniors, given the enormous need. In Krefeld and the surrounding area, as everywhere else, there is a lack of options that fall between barrier-free housing and nursing homes. If the regional Caritas association intensifies its commitment in this field, it can enable people to live with dignity—and at the same time, in line with its strategy, put the necessary economic stability on a broader footing.

The whole organization from the comfort of your couch

The StrategyFrame will be the central tool not only for maintaining an overview, but also for adapting “Charity 3.0” to new challenges at any time. “Whereas an automaker, for example, needs insight into current sales trends, our focus is more on regulatory requirements and political decisions because we operate in a specialized market,” says Glöß. “We have to aggregate key figures and draw conclusions from them just the same.” But she finds what working with the StrategyFrame has done for the culture and teamwork almost even more important: “A self-directed process like this forces you to be honest; you’re essentially putting the entire organization—and not least yourself as a board member—on the couch. Approaching this internally in such a transparent and participatory way takes courage. But it pays off: everyone becomes aware of the common thread we’re following—and how much we need each other to position ourselves for the future.”

A New Interpretation of the BCG Matrix

Where are investments worthwhile—and which business areas, offerings, or projects should be phased out? The Growth-Share Matrix, developed by the Boston Consulting Group, is a classic analytical tool for strategic planning. The X-axis represents the potential for market growth, while the Y-axis shows the organization’s market share relative to the competition. Caritas for Krefeld and Meerbusch has adapted the model’s terminology and content for the social services sector: offerings in which the organization, despite significant effort, holds a relatively weak position in stagnant markets are called “(Poor) Dogs” in the traditional matrix. “We’ve replaced the dogs with hamsters running on a wheel,” says Dana Glöß.

The “Question Marks”—otherwise high-risk initiatives whose success is uncertain—have been replaced in the Caritas version by “poor church mice.” This refers to projects that are highly effective socially but cannot be profitable. “Lighthouses,” on the other hand—the Caritas equivalent of “Stars”—impress with both their social impact and their significant contribution to results. The fourth category comprises “Cash Cows,” which Caritas for Krefeld and Meerbusch refers to as “social sponsors.” While they are important due to the stable revenues they generate—which are typically guaranteed in standard care—they could, in principle, also be taken over by other providers. This is quite different from, for example, a drug consumption room or migration counseling, for which there is often not a single other market participant available. Caritas for Krefeld Meerbusch aims to generate at least 5 percent of its total revenue from such services—a clear commitment to its Christian identity.

A central framework, local solutions

The German Caritas Association is the social welfare organization of the Catholic Church in Germany. The 5,300 member organizations that have joined together under its umbrella employ 770,000 full-time staff nationwide. This makes Caritas the largest employer in the country, even compared to corporations such as Volkswagen AG. Caritas facilities include daycare centers, home care services, counseling centers, hospitals, residential homes, shelters for the homeless, hospices, and many more. Deliberately organized as an association, the regional branches within the Caritas network have considerable leeway to set their own priorities within the Christian mission statement.
The Caritas Association for the Krefeld region is one of the oldest in Germany; in 2026, it will celebrate its 110th anniversary. Initially supported exclusively by volunteers for many decades, the local association became increasingly professionalized after World War II. Today, together with Krefelder Caritasheime gGmbH, a 90% subsidiary, it provides a total of 38 services and programs for people of all ages in Krefeld and Meerbusch.

Caritas Krefeld: Charity 3.0